Some football fans in Europe might not have the opportunity of watching the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on television from July 20.
Earlier today, the president of the world football governing body, Gianni Infantino announced that FIFA may not broadcast the 2023 FIFA Women’s World in five European countries unless the countries improve their broadcast rights offers.
The five European countries that made “disappointing” offers for broadcast rights are the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France. Infantino described the offers from those countries as a slap in the face of “all women worldwide”.
The president has insisted that the football body would not undersell the Women’s World Cup which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand in July.
According to the FIFA president, the five countries mentioned above paid a whopping $100million-$200million for the broadcast rights of men’s World Cup but they are trying to pay as low as $1million-$10million for that of the women.
While speaking at a World Trade Organization meeting in Geneva, Infantino said, “Should the offers continue not to be fair, we will be forced not to broadcast the Fifa Women’s World Cup into the ‘big five’ European countries.
“I call, therefore, on all players, fans, football officials, presidents, prime ministers, politicians, and journalists all over the world to join us and support this call for a fair remuneration of women’s football. Women deserve it, as simple as that.”
The football boss said all the revenue that will be generated from the TV rights during the 2023 Women’s World Cup which will start on July 20 and end on August 20 will be reinvested into women’s football.
Infantino added that Fifa had tripled the total prize money from the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France to $152 million and reaffirmed the ambition of FIFA to establish equal pay for the men and women’s World Cups by 2026.
